Can you imagine using just one sheet of glass for all your home’s mirrors, TV, computer and glass needs? This is where the future of glass could be going. One surface could enable you to play, watch TV, email your friends, check out your hair and even talk to your family from afar.

The Innovation of Glass

Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have been working on a new glass innovation that takes small pieces of glass and coats them with metal such as silver. By doing this, they are able to enhance the amount of light coming through the glass; the silver also helps conduct electricity. This research could lead to technology being integrated into windowpanes, mirrors, and other large glass objects.

This new technology could open up the world of glass to so many opportunities. Throughout your home, mirrors could act like a tablet. Brush your teeth in the morning and check the weather. Mirrored countertops could allow you to be able to see your favorite recipes projected right there as you cook your dinner.

While some of these ideas may seem far-fetched, when you think how far mobile phones and tablets have come and how much impact they have in our lives, this could very well be the next step inside our homes and throughout our workplace and even vehicles.

The researchers at UBC will be continuing their studies into this glass innovation. Their next step is to see how the metal on glass works on windows that experience different light and temperatures throughout the day. If you are a lover of technology and all things that make your life easier, this may be a study worth following.

Smart Windows are Already Here

As UBC continues to study how glass can be used to blend our favorite technology, smart windows have already arrived. The Consumer Energy Center published an article on this subject stating that new technology already allows these smart windows to automatically adapt to change.

These changes include automatic tinting at the flip of a switch. You can automatically tint windows throughout the day to cut out glare and heat. While not used everywhere yet, these windows could easily become a part of our everyday lives when it comes to vehicles, commercial buildings, and even homes.

The space of glass innovation is becoming an exciting place to watch and observe as these changes are sure to bring new technology and opportunities to our homes, offices and vehicles.